For my 8th anniversary at work, I wanted to make Magic 8 Ball like die, that would float in beer. The problem is that the die are not cheap and I needed 50+ of them. I went through several ideas. The delivered plan was simply a piece of paper with the pattern on it. Shellacking the paper, Cutting out the die, and sealing it.

My blog on the beer and story behind the reason for this is here.

Step 1: Requirements

Supplies need
* Printer (I used a Canon Laser Printer)
* Paper (Normal printer paper)
* Spray Shellac
* Aquarium Sealant (Foodsafe)
* Plastic BBs (maybe not needed)
* Bunch beer cozies left over from company event
* Black and White Spray paint
* Lots of witty sayings

Step 2: Create List of Sayings.

If you are going to create 80 unique dice, you need a number of sayings, so the first step is to get all of your saying in place. I used One Note, but anything will work, so long as it has a spell checker :) I also asked twitter and Facebook friends for help. Also it helps to have a creative mind, but I will caution, re-read them later, what seemed funny at the time, might notbe later, when awake, sober, and thinking that someone will read this without any context. One thing I did was look up quotes, say from Monty Python, and then let many clicks happen while gathering.

I create a list of common entries, so that 3/8 used those, and then I grabbed the rest and pasted them into a column in excel. I then added a column next to it, with random numbers, and then sorted both columns on the random number. This helped prevent clumping of saying types.

Here is my list of sayings:

42
Your Mamma!
Sorry?
No Speaka' the English
Ask Jim
Ask Steve
Ask Bill
Yes
No
Maybe
Did you expect an answer from an inanimate object
You did not say "XBOX" first
Let's get consensus on that
That requires special XBOX access
Bing It!
Bring it up in your next 1:1
What am I Yammer?
Ask me in another 8 years
I'll take an action item on that
404 -- Unanswerable
500 -- too much beer
304 -- drink someone else's beer
I wouldn't ask that in public!
Feel silly now?
Can you read me now?
Magic 8 Beer, and you ask that?
I am not poly juice potion!
Nope, you're still human
Nope, he's still human
No wisdom in this beer
There's an App for that
There's a Rx for that
Check the spec
It's in a thread
Just drink more!
Um…. How about 3 wishes?
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Answers will be in next release
Liquid Smoke
Please shift your paradigm
Please upgrade to Magic 9 Ball™
:) PLEASE_REBOOT
Ask Marketing, it's more fun
Need LCA approval for that data
Dating questions, at work?
IEB SDL is Hiring, but not you
Dave's not here
Dave, I am afraid I can't do that
That is not in my commitments
Empower the paradigm with synergy
You must update this app first
Error Code 0x80070424
You must update to .NET 4.5
Please call help desk
Would you like to talk to a live tech?
Please answer this survey first!
Please unblock your pop-up blocker
Team Werewolf!
Ask me next Tuesday
How 'bout them Dawgs?
OOF: Answering other questions
Cheeseburger Cheeseburger Pepsi. No Coke
No Answer for you!
Squirrel!
Warning, choking Hazard
Made in USA
Pithy comment
This end up
Don't taze me bro!
Binders of beer
You didn't build this
Check the spec!
Please setup a meeting
Jim did it!
That's what she said
Roll Again
Like I care
That's what she said!
Bad Wolf
Great Scott!
Whatever!
Speak up! It's bubbly in here!
Do you want fries with that?
Can you hear me now?
Huh!
Please hold for the GM
Connecting….
Press 1 for English
Spoiler Alert!
The Answers, my friend, are dust in the wind
Signal Level low
Battery Level Low
Elf needs food, badly!
Please Stand By
Gangman Style!
Follow Bliss, She works in Studio A
Now Serving #9,998,383,750,000
9
Only the Shadow Knows
Uh Oh!
Whatever
Haven't we as a society moved past that?
Say Cheeze!
Please speak louder
That is a mystery!
Ask Myth Busters!
Only the Shadow knows!
Quick, use the bat signal!
It's Hammer time!
Blah, blah blah, in bed.
Please Accept the EULA first
Are you under NDA?
Look Out behind you!
Right after I get *my* surface!
Please upgrade to Windows 8
Please upgrade to Office 2013
Please install the flash plugin
Looking good
Beer hazy, try again
Outlook not so good, but 2013 better
Signs point to yes
Forget about it!
You talking to me?
Funny, now ask for realz
In those shoes?
Beggars cannot be choosers
And then some
BRAINS!!!!!
How about heads or tails
The eager beaver gets the tree
Easy Does it
Go with the flow
Just in time!
P0WNED!
So-So
Has Hell Frozen yet?
I just a Yes-Ball
That's a toss-up
Ε�ναι �λα Ελληνικ� μου
That's a doozy!
That requires a UN resolution
Great minds think alike, find one
It takes two to tango
Remember cats have nine lives
That just went viral
No Dice
Put a bird on it
Sacagawea!
The world is your oyster
When it rains, you are home
Why so serious?
Take the red pill
Take the blue pill
Take both the red and blue pills!
Follow the white rabbit
You've lost your muchness
X marks the spot
Remember the Alamo
Remember, scientists kill Pluto
The glass is full, but it is not yours
Winning!
Absolutely might be right
100% more likely
Dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!
Rule #1. Cardio.
who you're gonna call... Ghostbusters.
#2 – The Double Tap
#22 – When In Doubt, Know Your Way Out
It’s a marathon, not a sprint
#18 – Limber Up
31."Check the back seat"
Fear is the path to the dark side.
The dark side clouds everything.
WHO'S your Jedi Master?
Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.
Help you I can, yes.
There... is... another... Sky... Walker
May the Force be with you.
Fear leads to anger.
Respect My Authority!
Double Rainbow!
W00T!
Screw you guys, I'm going home
No, more, pie!
Its coming right for us!
Doh!
Mmmmm, Beeeer!!!!!!
Beer: The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problem
To start, press the Any key.
If at first you don't succeed, give up.”
Your favorite band sucks
Relax, just do it
Trying is the first step to failure
I the plumper, I here to fix the sink
They are laughing at you!
Mmmmmm… Donuts…..
Blah, Blah, Blah, Magic 8 Beer, Blah, Blah, Blah, Magic 8 Beer
Children are the future, be afraid
Collaboration means other people to blame!
Hope now, despair will find you later.
Use "Synergy" where you steal other's work
Never underestimate the stupidity of large groups.
There are no stupid questions, until now.
Less is more, for negative numbers
Failure only happens if you try
This space for rent
Always have a fall guy
Quitters never win, but cheaters do
That which kills you, kills you
A clouds silver lining is just a reflection
Hold Still
This wont hurt, much
+1
The greatest fear is RIGHT BEHIND YOU!
Plastics! The future is Plastics!
I have a dream, *snooze button*
Ask not what I can do you for, but for another beer
Keep you enemies closer, it's make s you BFF's jealous
Who prayed for big shoes?
Never leave a man behing
Never bet with a Sicilian when life is on the line!
A rising tide floats all boats, a flood is worse
It's lonely at the top, quiet and peaceful
Victory is mine!
Right foot, Red!
You can check in, but you can't check out
Herrrrrreeeeessss Johnnnnnny!
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun
Wal-mart... do they like make walls there?
Depends on the definition of the word "is"
Be the change that you want to see in the world
Ask that in the form of a question
Ask that in the form of an answer
If someone asks if you are a god, you say, "yes!"
Don’t cross the streams!
I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing.
On a scale of 1 to 10, that would be bad
Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance
KAHHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!
Do not put baby in the corner
Expelliarmus!
Han shot first!
Who you gonna call?
That's a big Twinkie!
it's more of a guideline than a rule...
I picked the wrong week to give up sniffing glue…
It a large building with people in it
Back off man, I'm a scientist
Just the facts, Mam
It's Beer-O-Clock!
I soaked in a non-nutritive cereal varnish!
So many sides, so few quotes
So many humans, so few insults
In Russia, Magic 8 Ball asks you!
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of Magic 8 Balls!
To the cloud!
It’s a plane!
With great power, comes great suck-ups
If you teach a man to fish, he can bring you fish
Beer, its what for RIGHT NOW
The more you drink, the funnier I am
I am the Brute Squad!
Inconceivable!
I do not think that work think what you think it means
People in masks cannot be trusted
My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die
Have fun storming the castle
You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead
Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!
Don't rush me sonny. You rush a miracle man , you get rotten miracles
Am I going mad, or did the word 'think' just escape your lips?”
I know something you don't know.
No sips, no service
Bonus answers are not rated
Et Tu, Brute?
Burma Shave!
Wall Drug, 1301 miles!
See Rock City!
NEXT >>
Press F7 to spellcheck
Mostly Harmless
You are very tall!
Life? Don't talk to me about life!
That doesn't sound good.
COMPUTER DO SOMETHING!
I can't do this without my third arm!
So this is it. We're going to die
I've calculated your chance of survival, but I don't think you'll like it.
Have an answer for you? Yes. But you're not going to like it.
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime, doubly so.
I told you this would all end in tears.
Here I am, brain the size of a planet…
Resistance is useless!
Workers of the earth! I bring... good tidings of peanuts! And beer!
I'd much rather be happy than right any day.
I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed.
Life? Don't talk to me about life!
It got weird
frickin' sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their frickin' heads,"
Myth Busted!
DON’T PANIC
Remember your towel!
"I don't know, I didn't listen."
What's so unpleasant about being drunk? Ask a glass of water.
In the beginning, the Universe was created.
I ache, therefore I am
Life. Don't talk to me about life
Belgium
It's just a flesh wound!
And now for something completely different
We apologize for the inconvenience
We are experiencing technical difficulties
Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition!
I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK
There are some who call me... Tim?
RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!!
Daleks!
NONE SHALL PASS.
You cannot Pass!
Do not collect $200
Spam, spam Spam Spam Spam Spam
Rule Four: Now this term, I don't want to catch anybody not drinking
The first rule of fight club is not to... oh crap
number one - the larch
Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Know what I mean?
I wanted to be... A LUMBERJACK!
I got better…
Thanks for asking!
T...M….I…
OMG LOL

EightBall.pdf
Download

Step 3: Decide on the Shape of the Die

Now I had to choose, 4, 8, 20 sides. Since I wound up printing them, I went with 8, however I might have done better to chose 4 since with a loose BB a pyramid will have a flat face pointing up. In reality, the die float on foam, so that is not as big of a factor as I thought.

I used this gif as the basis for my design. I created a Visio document (which won't seem to load to this site, but the PDF did load, and I could put the Visio in a zip). I played with a number of sizes and tested them in a glass.

One thing that was critical was making the tabs big enough.

EightBall.pdf
Download

Step 4: Add the Sayings to the Drawing

This took time, as you have to craft each saying to fit. Sometimes this means editing, cutting, or rewording. Sometimes my brain would change the wording as I typed. Often I would get a wild hadea and add 4-5 sayings live. The final product is in the PDF and Visio (Now added as a zip).

Step 5: Print and Spray

Print the Visio drawings. I solved the problem of printing to a waterproof thing, by making the paper, and after printing, waterproofing it! I did it by spraying shellac (which is food safe when cured). I sprayed one side, then hung it from cardboard, waiting at least an hour before spraying the other side. This tends to get drippy and fumey so do it outside or in a garage.

Step 6: Glue and Seal

After they dried, I cut them out, folded them, and glued them with glue sticks on the tabs. The eldest minion was quite good a doing this, tell them it is origami!. Cutting them out took a while. Perhaps leaving more space in the printing would help (though use more paper and shellac). I did both scissors and exacto knives. Once glued I put sealant on the seams to keep them air tight, so they would float.

Originally I was putting BBs into weight them, but mostly I forgot, and they got stuck in the sealant, and it really should only work on a 4 sided version,,,

Step 7: Cozies: Stencil and Paint and Paint and Paint

At the company summer event they had these snap on beer cozies. I asked for the extras knowing I would do "something" with them.

I did not expect them to be the single biggest time issue.

I tried to die them black, but the material and bright green color bled through. I wound up spray painting them twice black, and then with I created a stencil to spray paint onto the cozies (PPT in zip). The stencil was just paper. I should have shellacked it, since the paint loaded on the stencil after a while. Or created 2 so I could let one dry....

I should have used nylon die, or the HVLP gun and given it more time. Or used a thicker spray paint.